CAR NEWS

Mattia Binotto is leaving his position as Ferrari Formula 1 team boss and managing director of the company’s sporting division, according to reports in Italy. Even if the team rejected the speculation before and also after the last race of the Champions in Abu Dhabi, now the news seems to be sure and the parts are just waiting to define the very last particulars. 

Following the probable departure of Binotto from the team, there are already many different hypothesis about the possible substitutes, among many others there is also one about the Sauber-Alfa Romeo boss Fred Vasseur and one about Ross Brawn. 

The  US driver Logan Sargeant earned the Super License he needed to be confirmed as new pilot for Williams team in the next season of F1, replacing the Canadian Latifi. The 21-year-old is set to become the first American driver to compete in the series since Alexander Rossi in 2015. Sargeant currently competed until now in Formula Two for Carlin  and is part of the Williams Driver Academy. 

The Florida driver started racing when he was 8 years old. He made his F1 practice debut in 2022 at  the Austin GP and from 2023 he will join Albon on the grid.

The world champion Max Verstappen won also the last F1 GP of the season in Abu Dhabi as Charles Leclerc secured second in the overall standings. Leclerc, who made just one stop, held on to second ahead of Verstappen’s two-stopping team mate Sergio Perez to edge him in battle for second. Carlos Sainz, who went wheel-to-wheel with Lewis Hamilton early in the race, was 4th for Ferrari ahead of Mercedes racer George Russell, who served a 5-second time penalty for unsafe release in his pitstop. 

Hamilton instead was forced to retire, due to some damages after hitting with Sainz. However all the weekend was about the German driver Sebastian Vettel, four time world champion, who is retiring and in Abu Dhabi celebrated his last race with a good tenth place. 

Hollywood seems to be all about Ferrari and racing stories. After the new biopic all about Enzo Ferrari (starring Adam Driver) there is now another one. The starting line of this new one is "Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend" (now streaming on demand), starring Frank Grilllo as Ferruccio Lamborghini, Mira Sorvino as his second wife Annita and Gabriel Byrne as Enzo Ferrari. 

The movie is about how Lamborghini started his cars business from his previous tractors business. Ferruccio Lamborghini started the cars business after being complaining about his new Ferrari sport car. The movie is a homage to the two most iconic Italian car brands and to the most famous and creative rivalry. 

An unique collection will be soon auctioned. The 18-car fleet includes some of the most famous supercars ever built and could be worth more than $45 million combined. It is being billed as the Gran Turismo collection, and the owner who has consigned it to RM Sotheby's is keeping their identity a secret. Following closely behind is a 1985 Ferrari GTO that has been driven just 8,000 miles and is valued at $4.5 million. A 1997 Ferrari F50 has the same valuation as its sibling.

George  Russell (Mercedes) won his first F1 GP on Sunday in Brazil after arriving first also on Saturday during the Sprint Race. Mercedes dominated the weekend with Hamilton second both days, and voted as Driver of the Day on Sunday. The American team Haas had had a good started on Friday with the first place from Magnussen during the qualifying. Ferrari team recovered with a third place from Sainz, and the Red Bull were forced at the fifth and sixth place. 

The world champion  Max Verstappen at the beginning of the race collided with Hamilton (forcing him temporarily at the 8th place), then refused openly to follow the team orders about leaving the teammate Perez in front. The Dutch passed the Mexican putting his second place at risk. Perez and  Leclerc now tied. The 2022 championship final race will be in a week, November Sunday the 20th, in Abu Dhabi. 

RM Sotheby’s just announced a new auction for the the Ferrari racing cars lovers. The F1 Ferrari driven by Michael Schumacher and protagonist of five race victories in 2003 will be auctioned next week in Geneva. The announcement arrived only few days ago. This is not like the other Schumacher car, this is one of the most victorious car that gave the Championship to the German pilot. Bidders and investors seem ready. 

The sellers already announced that the red "Chassis 229" Ferrari raced by the nine time world champion could reach up to $9.4 million. 

In a real Las Vegas style party, with drones style fireworks, concerts,  games and cars rides, F1 launched last Saturday night the 2023 GP of Las Vegas. The third GP on US soil and the fifth in Nord America will be host the third weekend of November 2023. Hamilton, Sergio Perez, George Russell and Alex Albon were in attendance for the F1 Launch Party in Vegas, while fans also enjoyed live car runs, the Formula 1 Pit Stop Challenge, F1 Esports simulators, car and trophy photo opportunities and ex

Hamilton, Sergio Perez, George Russell and Alex Albon were in attendance for the F1 Launch Party in Vegas, while fans also enjoyed live car runs, the Formula 1 Pit Stop Challenge, F1 Esports simulators, car and trophy photo opportunities and exclusive giveaways on the famous Strip. In consideration of the huge  request, and after some criticisms about the skyrocket level prices, F1 announced for Vegas new 3-day tickets starting from $500. 

Nearly after 50 years after the last Le Mans race, Ferrari  presented its newly developed Le Mans Hypercar racer at Imola,  signaling its return to top-class endurance racing. The public will see  this amazing car in action in a matter of months, as it will contest for  the first time at the 1000 Miles of Sebring, which takes place in mid-March 2023. 

The 499P will be four-wheel drive, with an Xtrac seven-speed sequential transmission sending  power from the gas engine to the rear wheels, while a differential splits torque from the single ratio electric motor up front that is powered by a 900-volt battery pack, charged by Ferrari's Energy Recovery System (ERS), which recharges during deceleration and braking and requires no external power source. The car was heavily influenced by technology used in Ferrari's Formula 1 program.

After a US F1 Gp full of drama, the Mexico Gp was just about high altitude and strategies, with the Ferrari team a little bit missed out. The two Maranello’s drivers, Sainz and Leclerc, finished fifth and sixth. The front part of the race was all about the Red Bull and Mercedes, with Max Verstappen (Red Bull) first, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) second and the home hero Perez (Mercedes) third. The podium was exactly the copy of the one from 2021. 

Russell (Mercedes) was fourth with one extra point for the fastest lap. All the teams surprised almost everybody opting at the end for just one change of tires. Alonso (Alpine) wasn’t able to finish the race due to some engine failure. Ricciardo (McLaren) won the title “driver of the day” despite he was penalized for pushing out Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri). 

A perfect Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione, a race car-turned-test bench that the company built in only five units of in the 1980s is currently being auctioned by RM Sotheby’s. It was finished in 1988 and sold to Belgian pilot Jean Blaton in December of that year. The selling  dealer purchased it in 1992, and kept it until a private collector in the United Kingdom bought it in 2006. 

The car then went through the hands of current Aston Martin chairman, Lawrence Stroll, Rick White, David SK Lee, and David Raisbeck. It's been housed in a private collection located in Europe since 2019. The price could be multiple million.

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won an amazing US F1 GP in Austin giving the constructor title to his team and honoring in the best way Dieter Mateschitz, the founder of Red Bull, who passed away last Saturday. Verstappen was immediately first right after the start, passing Sainz (Ferrari) who was hit from rear by Russel (Mercedes) and forced to end the race at the first lap for radiator issues. 

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) managed to lead the race for many laps and gained even more advantage when Verstappen had a problem at the pit stop. Third place for Leclerc, able to recovery from the 12th position, after the penalties. The race had also a couple of safety cars, one of them after a terrible crash between Alonso and Stroll. 

After the official presentation of the Ferrari Purosangue SUV last month, the automaker has received so many orders that the car brand could be forced to stop receiving orders. Ferrari has announced only 20% of its total sales will be for the Purosangue SUV every year. This means only one among every five Ferrari cars will be the Purosangue SUV. Ferrari’s chief commercial and marketing officer, Enrico Galliera, reportedly said that the auto manufacturer risks not being able to satisfy demand.

The next one is going to be an incredible weekend in Austin for cars lovers and F1 fans. Even though the championship title has been already assigned to Verstappen (Red Bull), the three day event will see new cars on the circuit for the Ferrari and Mercedes team (few but important aero modifications). The other teams also will test some new solutions. 

The three days event will be fulfilled with a lot of other appointments starting from the concerts by Ed Sheeran, Chainsmokers, Robert Thick, Post Malone, Green Day and many others, with also a dj set with Shaquille O’Neal. 

Five races before the end of the championship,  Max Verstappen (Red Bull) conquered officially the 2022 F1 title in Japan, winning the Suzuka GP after a race stopped and resumed for the heavy rain and poor  visibility. The rain was heavy and right after the first start a lot of accidents occurred. Sainz (Ferrari) and Albon (Williams) spun and crushed because of the heavy rain. Gasly (Alpha Tauri) was hit by an ad panel. The race resumed at the end just for a while. 

Fia decided anyway  to give the full amount of points, and after a penalty to Leclerc  (Ferrari). During the real race few things happened as the duel between Leclerc and Perez (Red Bull), and the one between Hamilton (Mercedes) and Ocon (Alpine). Fastest lap for Zhou with Alfa Romeo (Ferrari power unit).  

Hollywood star Adam Driver is going “Italian” again after acting as Maurizio Gucci, in the recent “House if Gucci”. He will be Enzo Ferrari in the movie “Ferrari” that has been filming on the streets of Italy, and it’s racing toward a 2023 worldwide theatrical. 

The A-list cast includes Penélope Cruz as Ferrari’s wife Laura Ferrari; Shailene Woodley as his mistress Lina Lardi; Patrick Dempsey as fellow  racecar driver Piero Taruffi; Jack O’Connell as racer Peter Collins;  Sarah Gadon as Linda Christian and Gabriel Leone as charismatic driver Alfonso De Portago.

Ferrari is for sure not-a-struggling car company right now. In the face of a global economic downturn, the Italian automaker's cars remain in high demand, with shipments in Q2 of this year up by 28.7% compared to the  same period last year and record revenues reported over the same period. 

Moreover, Morgan Stanley's latest positive assessment of Ferrari includes the new Purosangue, with the analysts raising their earnings-per-share estimates  for the Maranello-based carmaker by between 7% to 10% for the 2023-2025  fiscal years. 

Sergio Perez (Red Bull) won the Singapore GP, despite a penalty and after a race full of rain, pitstops, crashes, and safety cars. Second place for Leclerc (Ferrari) unable to keep the first position gained on Saturday during the  qualifying. Third place for Sainz (Ferrari). Fourth and fifth place for Norris and Ricciardo (McLaren). Verstappen (Red Bull) arrived only seventh, not clinching the Championship yet. Fastest lap for Russell  (Mercedes), who arrived only 14th. 

Ninth place for Hamilton (Mercedes),  able to give some brilliant moments to this race but too penalized from a  crash. 

Formula 1 just announced the new 2023 races calendar with a lot of good news about the numbers of the races and the locations. Kicking off in Bahrain  on March 5th and concluding in Abu Dhabi on November 26th, the season will  feature a record-breaking 24 races, with China and Qatar set to return, and Las Vegas arriving as the penultimate round for a Saturday night race. The USA will hit the record next year with three different races: Miami in May, Austin in October and Las Vegas in November.

Last week FIA has officially confirmed what everyone already knew: it will not grant Colton Herta - the American IndyCar  super champion - a waiver for a super license, so Herta won't join Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTauri. To get a super license, you need to accumulate 40 points in a 3-year span. You accumulate those by competing in other series; your finishing position in a series dictates the number of points you receive. Herta did not have enough points for a super license; he only had 32. 

Finally  the 2023 Ferrari Purosangue is here. The first ever “suv” from Maranello was presented last week. The look is an amazing Roma-inspired  styling, with a V12 up front and a 193 mph (310 kmh) top speed. The side  doors opening surprised everyone with a wind contrary system. The exterior design of the 195.8-inch (4,973 mm) might look vaguely like a Roma on the outside, it’s very different in the inside. The Ferrari  newest car has four seats, but the two in the rear are not in a bench.  

Ferrari decided instead to have other two separate and very sporty seats. Ferrari hasn’t revealed prices for the Purosangue, but it’s  likely to cost close to $400,000.  

A  2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale A (Aperta) for sale could soon beat the record of 1 million dollars. This car has a 4.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 jetting just over 600 horsepower and also needs a fair amount in the experience, Giallo Modena painted with black stripes and only 3,000 miles (4,828 km) on the  odometer. 

But as of September 18th, the bid stands at $801,000. That means by the time of the auction will be over, the final bid could reach a seven figures amount. 

Ferrari has recently released a new teaser video for the Purosangue, the V12-powered that will be the Maranello’s first ever SUV it hits the streets. The short clip - which includes a glimpse at the car’s front end and a sample of its wailing twelve-cylinder soundtrack - indicates that the Purosangue will be fully unveiled from the 13th of September at 1pm EDT at Ferrari.com. Following the Ferrari plans, the Purosangue will be the Lamborghini Urus competitor. 

For many years Ferrari denied any possible interest in the SUV market. Now, after many studies, projects and plans, the historic moment is here.

The Italian GP of Monza gave the usual final podium, after an unexpected way to end the race. Verstappen (Red Bull) finished first, with Leclerc (Ferrari) in second and George Russell (Mercedes) in third. "The end with the safety car was really frustrating, I wish we could have had a bit of a race," Leclerc said after the race, via Reuters. "It's a shame, but I gave it all today”. 

The race came to a weird end when Daniel Riccardo’s car stalled out on Lap 47. A safety car came out and a final lap for the victory never came to fruition. Great results for Sainz (Ferrari) and Hamilton (Mercedes),  fourth and fifth, after starting from 18th and 19th places. Driver of the day was De Vries, who was called to substitute Albon for Williams and and able to get the 9th place.  

Verstappen (Red Bull) won again at home  (Dutch GP) after a race slowed many times due to some cars failures. The race was marked by a  very unfortunate change of tires for Sainz (Ferrari) and by the  different teams strategies - at the very end - between medium and soft tires that costed the podium to Hamilton (Mercedes), who finished  fourth. Third place for Leclerc (Ferrari) unable to keep the second place from the grid. Second place for Russell (Mercedes), who started from the sixth place. 

The race seemed to turn a completely different  way, but the safety car again changed everything showing again the Red  Bull different pace. Verstappen is definitely on his way to win his second championship title. 

Something completely unexpected: a Ferrari car among the huge Ford collection at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit. Walking across the impressive exposition, suddenly there is - at least for the next six  months- the familiar red color of 1980's car, a staple for the pop culture of every generation. What is exposed is the real and actual car used in the 1986 movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. This is a 1985 Modena  Spider. 

The vehicle was made available through the museum's  partnership with Haggerty Driver's Foundation, who has a national  historic vehicle registry. 

F1 is back after the summer break, and so Verstappen is (Red Bll). The Dutch won easily in Belgium, even though he was starting from the 14th place on the grid. Perez (Red Bull) finished just after him. Sainz (Ferrari) completed the podium and teammate Leclerc finished fifth (sixth after a penalty) behind Russell (Mercedes) and Alonso. Hamilton didn’t finish the race after a dramatic but with no consequences  accident with Alonso (Alpine). Now the gap between Verstappen and Leclerc is 98 points.

Audi  will compete in F1 starting from 2026, developing and using its own  engine. Audi it’s expected to buy a majority stake in Sauber, taking over from the Ferrari-derived engines Alfa Romeo. Alfa Romeo made a  statement soon after Audi's decision to enter F1, saying it will end its  current contract with Sauber before the end of 2023. Audi’s entry may  not be the only Volkswagen group F1 commitment for the next few years.

The rumors are that Porsche is also interested to re-enter the sport as  an engine manufacturer, maybe with Red Bull. 

Ferrari cars crushed some records during the Monterey cars week. During the RM Sotheby’s auction s cherry-red 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider was sold for $22 million. Michael Schumacher's 1998 race-winning Ferrari F300 produced, that valued statistic one of the highest bid which came in at a  final value of $6,220,000. 

Talking about the Pebble Beach Concours d’elegance, one of the most awaited events during the Monterey cars week, the prize went to the 1932 Duesenberg Model J Figoni  Sports Torpedo, owned by Lee Anderson from Naples, Florida.

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved new power unit regulations starting from the 2026 F1 season. The main aspects of are an increased electrical power 100% sustainable fuels. It’ll be the same 1.6-litre V6 twin-turbo hybrid unit but the power output of the twin-turbo V6 engine will be reduced by 38% with a target output of 536 hp. This gap in power will be filled up by a more powerful hybrid unit called the Motor Generator Unit - K. 

This 468 hp strong electric motor unit will recapture the energy developed under braking. The cars in 2026 will be powered by an entirely new bio-fuel. The emissions from this new fuel will be “Net Zero” emissions. 

Four Ferrari prototypes are going under auction this week in Monterey. The  cars will be presented at Mecum’s upcoming auction in Monterey, California, from August 18-20. All 4 vehicles were built to develop new technology. The first one is the "F150 Muletto M4", built in 2011. In 2012 Ferrari created another LaFerrari prototype known as "F150 Mulotipo MP1. Mecum will also sell the Ferrari MP4 prototype. Final LaFerrari Prototype is a near-production unit called "F150 Prototipe Preserie PS1.

The filmmaker Michael Mann (Heat, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans, etc.) just started to shoot a cinematic biopic dedicated to Enzo  Ferrari, with Adam Driver in the title role, while his wife Laura will be played by Penelope Cruz. Filming has just started in Italy in these  days. Apple TV+ announced also that it was preparing a series devoted to the Commendatore. The series is currently in pre-production in Rome, and is expected to air sometime in 2023.

Monterey Classic Car Week is finally again only in presence (and we dedicated a special page in this site).  The Classic Car Week 2022  is scheduled to stretch from Aug. 12-21. Among dozens of different events, exclusive car auctions, gatherings and meetings, on 21st of August Pebble  Beach Concours d’Elegance is the  flagship of Monterey Car Week. 

200 of the best collector cars in the  world gather on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links to compete  to be named Best of Show — considered the ultimate award for  automobiles. Expert judges will critique their elegance, technical  merit, and history. This 71st annual version will attract crowds from  around the world and is widely regarded as the world’s 

Past will meet future at Bonhams’ “Quail  Auction” later this month, as an all-electric one-of-one Ferrari Testa Rossa J will be auctioned off with proceeds to support local youth in California. During the Monterey car week, on August the 19th, this 2022  EV will go under auction. This is a scaled reproduction built and  donated by The Little Car Company as a nod to one of the most iconic  cars in Ferrari  history. 

This kind of electric Ferrari Testa Rossa J is a 75% scaled reproduction of the original 250 Testa Rossa from the  late 1950s. Th  company that built the 2022 electric Ferrari said it was finished in  Bianco Cervino with blue stripes as a one-of-one “Pebble Beach Edition.

The most successful 1998 Ferrari Formula One, able to win 4  races in a row, will go under the hammer this month in Monterey. This  is one of Michael Schumacher's machines from the 1998 championship.  The factory F300 reports chassis number 187, and it is the original car raced by the seven-time F1 champion. RM Sotheby’s  will offer the car at its flagship event in Monterey, California, between 18 and 20 August.  The auction will start around $6 millions. 

The vendor is a private who purchased the car from factory in 1999 and since then he has  perfectly  preserved the car and never restored it. 

At first it was all about the battle between Russell (Mercedes) and Leclerc (Ferrari). At the end - at the Hungarian GP - it was again a victory for Verstappen (Red Bull). Leclerc’s chances of victory suffered a fatal blow when Ferrari opted for him to run the slower hard tires, despite evidence of the Alpines struggling badly on them. Now Verstappen is leading the general standing by 80 points overall Leclerc. 

Second place for Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), third place for Russell, who started from the pole position. Fourth place for Sainz (Ferrari), starting from the third position. Sixth place for Leclerc. The fastest lap was run by Hamilton.

After a great start and after resisting from Verstappen’s attempts to take the lead, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) crashed the car on the barriers at the French F1 GP, giving the victory to the Dutch driver and his Red Bull. Now Verstappen is leading the Championship standing by 63 points. 

Great performance from the other Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz, arrived 5th, voted Driver of the Day, and able to set the fastest lap  despite he started last and penalized with 5 seconds of stop, for unsafe release during a pit stop. Second place for Hamilton (Mercedes), third place for his teammate Russell who won a long duel with Perez (Red Bull), only 4th.

Audi is ready to return in F1 circuit, thanks to a possible agreement with Sauber now racing with Alfa Romeo brand and Ferrari powertrain. The plan seems clear. The Alfa Romeo team expressed many times its intentions to focus on other projects. Alfa Romeo will remain in the F1 circuit until the end of 2025, as Audi will slowly enter in this  business, purchasing - at the beginning- just a quote of Sauber, and completing the acquisition in 2025. 

Following this plan, in 2026 the cars and teams will be rebranded and all the technology, mechanical and powertrains will be from Audi. Also Porsche  - strictly connected with Audi - is trying to enter the F1 circuit through an agreement with Red Bull. 

A new camouflage version of Ferrari Le Mans Hypercar race car being developed for the 2023 season of the World Endurance Championship was  recently seen in Maranello and has since been spending each day running  laps at the Fiorano test track. A video released by Ferrari on Tuesday  shows some of the testing. The first few tests concentrated on checking  the powertrain and associated electronics, rumored to be a V-6 and hybrid setup similar to what's found in the 296 GTB. 

Apple TV is working on a tv show about the great Enzo Ferrari, his life and  his successfully adventure with his cars company. The opera is from the  “Ferrari Rex” book, published by Giorgio Nada Editore and Giunti. The tv show will examine how, in the pursuit of pure speed, the driver and entrepreneur dedicated his genius to building the fastest racing car in history but left a trail of tragedy and torment along the way. 

Between 1956 and 1961, deeply wounded by the death of his firstborn son Dino and by what he considered a betrayal by his lead driver Juan Manuel Fangio, Ferrari rebuilt his racing team from scratch, selecting five promising rising stars of motor racing to fight for victory. 

From its pictures, it seems just a rusty, worthless car with no gearbox  and carpet. It was recently sold for more than $130,000. That’s the  story of a 1962 Ferrari 250 Gte, Azzurro color, that was sitting in a  barn for nearly 50 years. Right after the purchase the car was involved  in a serious accident. Brightwells Auction House in Great Britain  recently offered the car with an estimated price between £40,000 and  £60,000. It was acquired for almost the double of the price. 

The experts  estimate the complete restoration around $180,000. At the end, the investor could be rewarded with millions of dollars.

Leclerc with his Ferrari won and triumphed at the Austrian F1 GP surviving a late throttle issue and moving back up as F1 championship leader Verstappen (Red Bull) finished 2nd. Mercedes' 7-times world champion Hamilton completed the podium for the third race in a row. 4th the other Mercedes driver, Russell, able to recover after a 5 second penalty for an accident right after the start. Sainz (Ferrari) was forced to retire after the engine turned on fire. Next appointment will be in France.

On  auction for few hours, and quite immediately sold. This is what happened to the only Ferrari Enzo finished in white, at least from the factory, offered by RM Sotheby's  in a 24-hour online auction on June the 29th. Ferrari built just 400  Enzos, including 20 "Extracampionario" cars finished in nonstandard  colors, according to the auction house.  Part of the latter group, this  car—year 2003, chassis 133023—is the only Enzo to leave the factory in  Bianco Avus white. 

No details about the  final offer, since a total non  financial disclosure was part of the  agreement between the previous  owner and auction company. 

It was a terrific GB Grand Prix in Silverstone, full filled with emotions,  accidents and surprises with a final well deserved victory for Carlos Sainz and his Ferrari. For Sainz is the first F1 victory. Second  Perez (Red Bull), third place for the hometown hero Hamilton  (Mercedes). The race started with a horrible crash, luckily with no  health consequences. At the beginning of the first lap Zhou’s Alfa Romeo  crashed on the barrier after literally flying and flipping, ending  upside down. 

The driver had no physical injuries thanks to the halo. In a  different crash Albon finished on the side barriers. He also reported  minor injuries. About the race, after a good start Verstappen was forced  to slow down due to some tires issues. The last laps were all about a  fight for the podium among Perez, Hamilton and Leclerc. The Ferrari  driver unfortunately arrived only fourth due to older tires.